Our Hidden Secrets
by Ashrel Fury
Summary: Val and Skul have never been too long apart. Not since the war between Sanctuaries, but duty calls for everyone and a mission lands Val and Fletcher in Texas. Two weeks or so away from each other has done nothing for the deep and burning secret they share, under the noses of all their friends. - This is a Skulkyrie.


A/N: It's been a long time since I wrote anything but I want my comeback to be a Skulduggery Pleasant Fanfic. This is Skulkyrie. I hope you all enjoy and comment please. I will be continuing many of my unfinished stories, mostly because now I have my own apartment and there for my own place to work.

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Black eyes stared intently at the cup of coffee she nestled in her hands. Across from her Fletcher gave her an odd look, almost concern but not quite. Forty years ago, Fletcher had sworn to save the serious worrying for those really close life-or-death moments, it keeps life less stressful when one is constantly in danger.

"You wanna talk about it Val?" He knew it was the equivalent of speaking directly to a wall and expecting it to answer, but the silence for the last couple days had been more tense and awkward than he could truly stand.

As expected, the dark haired girl across from him grunted in response and looked away out to window. A habit she had undoubtedly picked up from a certain well known skeleton.

"We'll be going back in a couple days."

Suddenly those intense eyes were on him, shining with a light that had died weeks ago. He knew the question even before she asked. He smiled a bit, smugly seeing as he was able to get a reaction from her.

"Yeah, you heard that right. China said the missions off. We'll be getting on the plane tomorrow morning." Fletcher knew what this news was doing to his partner as the small smile settled into her thinly pressed lips. That smile was a little forced but he'd take it.

In an instant, whatever comings of a smile had appeared on her face dropped and Fletcher's heart dropped with it.

"Damn it." She cursed into her coffee her eyes going around the little American café they had found themselves in today, tracking down leads for a new case. "This would be so much easier if you could just-" Fletcher's already weighed down heart sunk even further and Valkyrie's face turned into pure modification.

"Fletcher, I didn't- It just came out- I didn't mean to-"

Fletcher raised his hand to stop her letting a sad sort of twist of the lips take his mouth. It was meant as a smile but by her face, it probably looked like a grimace. "It's fine Val." He sighed. "It's been years since then."

Valkyrie eyed the man wearily, not believing he would just let it go. This subject was a sore spot for him, as it was for all the Mages who'd lost their powers during the attack of Darquesse. Her gaze lowered to her coffee again as the memories assaulted her all at once. So many precious people died and others lost their magic to the machine created to lock Darquesse up.

It was Valkyrie's turn to try at a weary smile. So many had died but only one person was supposed to. Her. And in the end it was her that survived.

Stephanie had made Skulduggery promise to kill Valkyrie without hesitation, but in the end, her partner couldn't do it. So after the war between Sanctuary's had come to a close, he forced everyone he could into devising a way to bring Valkyrie back. It had works, but at the cost of so many lives. Valkyrie honestly didn't even know if it had been worth it.

"Earth to Valkyrie. What are you thinking about in there?" Fletcher's face was pinched in a bit of annoyance, something that made him look younger than when he had stopped aging. Her smile loosened up a bit at the familiar image. He'd even kept his hair the exact same way.

"Just the past Fletch. Come on, let's get back to the hotel." She stood and walked away eyes roaming around as if on instinct before she stopped at the door to wait for him to catch up.

Tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning they would be in a plane back to Ireland, back home.

What was waiting for her there?

She felt a sharp pain in her heart at that thought. Ghastly was dead, Tanith was suffering from insanity after experiments to release her from the Remnant had failed, and her very own family was…well she honestly didn't know how they were. She hadn't seen them in almost seventy years. Were they even still alive?

_Skulduggery_ – a voice whispered in her mind.

That's right. The one thing that never went away, the one person who never gave up and the one who will always be waiting for her. Her partner. Her best friend.

Suddenly she felt the emotions of the past two weeks slam back into her. Pain and loss. She missed him more than she thought she would. This mission wasn't supposed to run for as long as it had and Skulduggery was currently on a far more important case so it had been her and Fletcher who were sent into action. She hadn't been too horrified at the idea, after all Fletcher had become one of the few friends she had left. Still, being away from the skeleton wasn't easy. They had hardly been apart for more than a day since Darquesse was defeated sixty years ago.

With one, final, morbid sigh Valkyrie looked up at the sky and wondered what her skeleton detective could possibly be doing right now?

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Valkyrie's eyes searched the terminal with a quick and thorough sweep and it didn't take long to spot what she'd been looking for. The tall figure was hardly fitting in as it was.

A grin broke into her face as she rushed to him, dodging the bodies blocking her clear path to the figure in a long trench coat, a fedora pulled low, a gray scarf pulled up, and a pair of big celebrity sunglasses.

"Skulduggery!" She cried as she was finally close enough. The head tilted up slightly to look at her over the brim of his hat and through the dark of his sunglasses. She wasn't dishearten with the lack of response since the figure, instead of answering, held his arms out to receive her oncoming hug.

The illusion of space in his midsection caved in at her insistence, letting her feel the hard edges of the bottom of his ribs and his pelvic bones. She hardly paid it any mind, letting her arms encircle his ribs so they had some sort of perch instead of open air.

"I missed you." She allowed herself to say. This wasn't usually like her, she wasn't seventeen or eighteen anymore, they hardly got this close in public and for no reason, but she couldn't help it. The time away from him had been hard on her. Apparently, they had been just as hard on Skulduggery because he lowered his head to her ear, his teeth pressing against her cheek lightly only separated slightly by his scarf. His version of a kiss.

"I missed you too Valkyrie." His smooth voice answered back.

Valkyrie's heart lightened at his words. All the weight that had been holding onto her during her two weeks in America tracking down clues to the where-abouts of Billy-Ray Sanguine had finally dissipated as he gave her one hard and final squeeze before releasing her and looking over her head for Fletcher.

"China said you'd be back today and like the caring, charming Partner I am I came to pick you up." He told her reaching to take her backpack from her. She pulled her shoulder back, not letting him.

She smiled at his attempts at chivalry though, but it just wasn't like him. "Of course." She said lightly, mockingly if you listened closely, and if there was one thing Skulduggery always did it was listen closely.

"Hi Skulduggery." Fletcher greeted as he finally caught up to them both. He smiled at the skeleton looking him right in the eye- I mean sunglasses. Fletcher had been infinitely proud of himself when his height had made it all the way up to Skulduggery's before his magic prevented his body from growing further and ever since then he got into the bad habit of accidently challenging the skeleton, something Skulduggery took personally if for no other reason than his pride.

"Fletcher has to take a cab though." Skulduggery said with a voice that didn't exactly sound displeased at the news it delivered.

Fletcher's face crumpled as Valkyrie stifled a laugh with her fist.

"Skulduggery, he's been a lot of help these past few days. Gave me something to punch when things got too mundane." She explained with a shrug, Fletcher's hurt expression turned to her.

It was Skulduggery's turn to chuckle.

"Very well then. We may take the punching bag back to the Sanctuary."

Skulduggery and Valkyrie walked off together as Fletcher stared after them, a bit of a smile flashing through the look of horror on his face. It had been the first time Valkyrie has honestly smiled in two weeks. Who cares if it was Skulduggery who put it there.

"Fletcher make sure your hair doesn't tare or scratch the seats of my car. Thank you." Skulduggery chimed cheerfully before asking Valkyrie about everything that happened in America. She went into a detailed explanation, leaving out, Fletcher noticed, the nights she spent locked in her room refusing to talk to him. She also conveniently skipped the countless mistakes she'd made while going after the mage calling himself Texas Chainsaw, even though she highlighted Fletcher's with neon signs. They laughed at him in the front seats as he shook his head and smiled a bit.

He knew he was the butt of their jokes. He'd been their outlet ever since he started working for the Sanctuary as a Mortal's relation agent. With no more Teleportation skills, his only use was interacting with Mortals when the situation called upon it. That had been why he was sent with Valkyrie instead of Skulduggery.

Fletcher gazed out the window as Valkyrie told Skulduggery of the day they chased an adept mage with the same magic as Tanith but not the same talent with it. He tuned them both out when she talked about the mage falling through the sky-light of a mansion they were staking out because an accomplice who helped Billy-Ray escape to the U.S after Tanith's capture lived inside.

He let his mind wonder around, thinking of Valkyrie's face when she spotted Skulduggery in the crowd compared to her attitude throughout the mission. It was so obvious to everyone who ever even looked at them, but Fletcher wasn't sure if either one realized it just yet.

Together for countless years yet they are so blind to their love for one another. Fletcher snorted at that thought before deciding he'd take a nap while they rode back to Roarhaven.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Did you miss me?" Valkyrie's smile was just this side of flirting and it only got wider when Skulduggery shot her a warning look with his hollow sockets. His gaze then traveled to the review mirror to look at a sleeping Fletcher.

"He's knocked out Skulduggery." Valkyrie's lips were a smirk now. "He sleeps like the dead, I know this better than anyone after the weeks I spent across the hall from him."

This made the skeleton's shoulders sag in a sort of relief or relaxation.

"Well then. Yes. I suppose I did in fact feel your absence." Skulduggery answered, the smile unmistakable in his voice. Especially since Valkyrie was the only person truly capable of reading his emotionless faces and stoically smooth voice. "Not as much as _my_ absence undoubtedly affected you."

Valkyrie's face relaxed at his jab. His presence, his attitude, the familiarity, everything about this man made her feel comfortable, made her feel right. Yes. She had missed him more than he probably even know.

"Are we dropping him off in the Sanctuary?" Valkyrie asked as she jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at the unconscious Fletcher.

The skull bobbed up and down in a nod. "Yes. China wants a full report and I, for one, am unwilling to give up any amount of time in which you could be basking in my presence."

Her smile split her face in two.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"You're leaving me here? By myself?"

Fletcher stared at the two grinning figures through the closed window of the car that wasn't the Bently and he sighed in resignation. He had his answer he supposed.

"Fine then you lunatics." Fletcher stuck his tongue out and watched as the car pulled away and sped off. Shaking his head he walked off to the Sanctuary, not looking forward to seeing Elder Sorrows. Ever since the war between Sanctuarys, no one bothered to assign any new Elders, and China was doing such an outstanding job that no one spoke against her when she insisted she could handle it on her own. She was their only form of leadership and believe it or not, she was a force to be reckoned with.

Fletcher spared a thought to Skulduggery and Valkyrie as he waved to the Cleavers and Sorcerers at the doors. What are they doing that's so important they didn't want to deliver the report to China themselves?

"Oh Fletcher, It's good to see you back in Ierland, where are Detective Pleasent and Detective Cain?"

Fletcher rolled his eyes as China walked up to him. Years of being around her dulled the affects that her beauty had on him all those years ago. He could appreciate her for more than her beautiful face now.

"Rode off together into the sunset. Left me here to give you a full report on the mission."

China's red lips spred into a sly little smile.

"Where do you think those two ran off to?" She asked, not really expecting an answer as she turned on her heals, leading the way back to her office.

"I was asking myself the same question." Fletcher replied before following after her.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Her lips were warm, almost scolding as they touched his cold teeth. His teeth pressed against her, the only way he knew of to show her that he returned the affection. He had no lips but that hadn't stopped her since their first kiss almost fifty years earlier.

Her tongue traced his teeth, softly running against them as he shivered, his vision black as if his non-existent eye-lids were shut tight in the pleasure of her actions.

When he pulled back from her, her face came back into view. She was so beautiful, and inside his own head he could admit it without flinching. Her dark hair fell down her back like shinning ink and her pale skin seemed to glow in the light the moon provided. Her smile, lips swollen from pressing against unresponsive teeth, brought a light to her face that had nothing to do with the moon at all.

"You really did miss me." She breathed, as if amazed by the realization herself. Almost fifty years together and she still reveled in his slight little shows of care and love. He, himself, could hardly ever believe this dark angel was truly his and no one else's, but she never betrayed him or gave him cause to worry.

"I will always miss you when we aren't in direct contact." His voice was velvet as well as matter-of-fact, but she shook her head at him.

"That not what I…" She paused, thinking to herself. What did she mean? Not even she knew. "We'd never spent too long apart have we Skulduggery?"

Her hand came up to brush against his smooth cheek bone, raising higher to his skull and moving down the back of it to his vertebra. She felt his shiver and smiled thinly. He was always so sensitive when it came to his spine.

"No, I suppose we never have." He answered in a whisper.

"Ever since Darquesse-"she stopped herself, not allowing the thoughts to come. Still, while the thoughts didn't, the memories weren't the same. Her family's face came into view her mother, her father, her sister Alice. All people who she had lost, even if they still drew breathe.

"Ever since Darquesse was sealed." Skulduggery interjected taking her chin in his thumb and forefinger, making her eyes look straight into the darkness of his eye sockets. "Ever since I told you how I truly felt about you."

Valkyrie knew what he was doing. Making her remember the good things other than the bad. In her most revolting moments, there had still been good memories in the mix. It had been those memories that had gotten her through her years afterwards.

"Everything came back when I was away from you, you know." Her hand skimmed across his ribcage, marveling in the slight scars that marred the bones. "Every wrong thing I ever did, every life I ever took, every-"

"I know. Those things came back for me too." Skulduggery replied his arms coming around her waist to pull her close, stealing her warmth to heat his cold bones. He was all sharp edges and angles, but Valkyrie had long since gotten used to this. She has even come to love it over their years together.

"Do you think we can convince China to always send us to assignments together from now on?" Valkyrie asked lightly, knowing how much of a sore subject China still was. Even if they all interacted with each other, the tension would never truly go away. One can never forgive someone who caused the death of one's family after all.

"I'm not sure. If we tell her, I am sure she will do all she can to pair us up together." He didn't elaborate and he didn't have to. Valkyrie already knew.

"But we are never going to tell anyone." She continued for him. This had been their very own deal right from the very beginning. Tell no one. They had long since lost sight of the real reason why not, now they merely make up excuses. No one would approve, he is much too old for her, he is a skeleton, no one would understand, she is too young to love, the list goes on. One thing has always been true though, while people have always guessed at the relationship they share, no one knows the truth.

"Will we ever find the courage to tell anyone Skulduggery?" She asked with a contented sigh. She felt complete lying there, in his bony arms.

"Courage is not the problem my dearest combat accessory." He chimed cheerfully. "Choice is what matters. Whatever choice we make, we always have enough courage to see it through."

That was true she supposed, but it didn't seem completely right.

"We will outlive everyone we know and even then no one will know the truth." Skulduggery's voice wrapped her in a smile that his skeleton face could not and suddenly she didn't feel like courage was really the problem.

When she had been away from him, she had wanted someone to open up to, someone to talk to about him, but she was never going to do so with Fletcher, so she locked herself away from him and thought and talked about nothing but the case.

Now as she sighed in contentment, she really didn't care to tell anyone at all. After all, no one would ever really understand and it was none of their business. So what if no one knows the truth when they, the only ones that matter, did.

Her lips pressed against his teeth again and he pushed back into her, his own way of returning her kisses.

This wasn't perfect for anyone else, and it didn't have to be. Because for them, it was right. It was the only thing that was actually.

They kissed for a while, warm under the covers in Gordon's/Valkyrie's mansion. So what if no one knew the truth, if they only caught hints and peaks of what their relationship really was. No one else really mattered when it came to them.

No one else would know.


End file.
